The Center for Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University will hold its sixth annual Shocker Business Plan Competition this April.

The competition is designed to encourage student innovation and provide a forum where students can present new business ideas to more than 200 local business leaders, including entrepreneurs and investors.

It is open to all enrolled students from any four year university or college in the state of Kansas. All majors are welcome to compete. Students may register as a team or individually.

Business plans are due for the first round of competition by 4 p.m. Thursday, March 29. The top 16 teams will move on to the Trade Show from 3-7 p.m. Friday, April 13, at WSU.

The Trade Show is only open to invited teams, faculty advisers and judges. Semi-final and final rounds of competition will be on Friday, April 27, at the Center for Entrepreneurship in WSU’s Devlin Hall. The final round of presentations begin at 2 p.m. and are open to the public.

The day ends with the Business Plan Competition awards ceremony and banquet hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship from 6-9 p.m. at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview in downtown Wichita.

This year’s keynote speaker for the banquet is Bill Simon, CEO and co-founder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Individual tickets can be purchased for $35.

The banquet is open to the general public.

More than $25,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top three teams whose new venture ideas have the greatest potential for attracting outside financing and implementation.

To register, each team must submit an Intent-to-Compete form online or turn one into the Center for Entrepreneurship by 4 p.m. Friday, March 9.

For more detailed information regarding the competition, contact (316) 978-3000, bizplancompetition@wichita.edu, or visit the competition website at www.wichita.edu/BP.